Unfaithfully Yours
by Miko Sayuri
Summary: "Sometimes, I wish I was a little girl again because bruised knees heal faster than a broken heart..." [A Story dedicated to Princesshyuuga01]
1. Silver and Gold

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I make any profit from this story.**

Warning: Sexual Content and Swearing. Read at your own risk.

Silver and Gold

* * *

 _~high school days~_

The lunch bell sounded, piercing through veils of boredom and sleepiness. Desks and chairs were being unorthodoxly thrown out of their neat rows, as hasty feet scampered for the classroom's exit.

It had been a long and supposedly informative session, but the students were having none of it. The drawn out lecture had just about killed their enthusiasm for upcoming history classes. That, and their teacher's nasty habit of knocking the duster on his whiteboard every fucking opportunity he got. It was only very effective for stretching their nerves, it certainly didn't wake them up.

A throat cleared loudly. Then the deep baritone of Professor Umino's voice was rising above the noise. It stopped his fleeing bunch of pupil to remind them of their upcoming pop quiz. All heads snapped in its direction, but not without exasperated groans and protesting rumbles from empty stomachs.

"It's not a pop quiz if you tell us about it," Hyuuga Neji derided with an arrogant―insolent snort. Unlike the other students he hadn't gotten up from his seat. He refused to push or shove, such antics were beneath him― he refused to let something as human hunger fray his composure.

Sasuke couldn't suppress the urge to roll his eyes. And to think that people thought, he and the Hyuuga were replicas of each other, he brooded. Neji had a much longer stick up his ass. Who complains about getting a heads-up for a test? Someone who didn't give a shit that his classmates may not have been as prepared for it as he was.

"Put a sock in it, Hyuuga!" Inuzuka Kiba snapped, voicing Sasuke's outrage. He too, despised Neji but it had more to do with his reluctance to let Kiba date his cousin, rather than the Hyuuga's obvious cut-above-the-rest academic prowess. "Some of us are actually grateful for the opportunity to study, we all can't be smart asses like you," he spat gingerly.

Neji scoffed. "I suppose," he shrugged casually, "After all, some of you need to remain nuisances to society, so aspiring lawyers like myself will not be without employment."

Kiba gritted his teeth, choosing the ignore the remark. He thanked the heavens for Iruka's slip-up, he needed all the help he could get. His parents would kill him, if he fell behind in his studies.

Being a teenager in high school was hard enough when you had an image to uphold. Or in Kiba's case, an image to build. The time to send in college applications was fast approaching and with his current reputation as a delinquent, he didn't think it would earn him any points with the universities his parents had in mind. It may be a futile attempt at salvaging his wasted years in high school, but it was better to have tried and fail than not to have tried at all.

So, when snobby shits like Hyuuga Neji with his perfect fucking grades, perfect fucking hair, perfect fucking face bitched about life, he got irritated. Of course, Kiba had no reason to be bitter about Neji's success in school or life in general―so, you make your bed so shall you lie in it, the Hyuuga was a hard worker―but it would really help if he stopped rubbing it in everyone's faces.

"Thanks for the warning Professor!" Sakura grinned, before turning to Kiba and suggesting, "I could help you study, if you want?" She loved to tutor people and viewed it as training for when she became a teacher.

Neji grunted and turned his head away to quietly address Iruka about something no one else gave much of a shit about.

Kiba was still in shock, he had never thought about asking for help from a classmate. And definitely not one of Sakura's intellect. For a moment, he savoured the idea. "Yeah, I'll meet you in the library after school. If that's alright with you?"

"Okay, I'll head straight over there after seventh period ends," She said and she waved goodbye to Kiba, not before bidding the haughty Hyuuga farewell and a private smile.

Sasuke threw his backpack over his shoulders and sighed. Long gone were the days when he concerned himself with Sakura and her affairs.

The Uchiha had eyes for one girl. And one girl only. She was the type one would deem average in every department but it was that subtle charm that made her stood out from all the other girls, who, by the way had thrown themselves at him at some point.

For months he had been trying to work up enough courage to ask her out but his pride stood in the way. Or was it nerves? Surely, had it been pride Sasuke wouldn't have told Naruto, who had not relented with his silly teasing ever since.

He questioned his own intelligence sometimes, why in the world had he told the dobe that he liked Tenten?

The crowd of students dispersed into the hallway, meeting up with their various groups. Sasuke scanned the sea of people. He saw her by the water fountain to the far end of the hall and exhaled decisively.

Someone grasped his shoulders firmly, "You can do it Sasuke," Naruto flashed him a cheesy grin. "I heard from Bushy Brow that she actually thought you were cute," he made a face. "Shesh, I expected her to have better taste than Sakura. I swear if they both were guys they would've been gay."

"What makes you say that?" Sasuke asked, only slightly paying attention. Tenten had just bent over to drink from the fountain and he couldn't believe that he was ogling.

"Because they both seem to have a thing for assholes!" Naruto laughed.

Sasuke shrugged him off. Just because someone thought he was cute didn't mean they were interested in him romantically. Lots of fangirls thought he was good looking, but fangirls were probably not a good example. They all wanted to establish some sort of relationship with him. He searched for a better example, Yamanaka Ino. Not even Sasuke could deny that she was a goddess but he hated her guts. He wouldn't wish a friendship with her upon anyone. So there, his initial point was proven. A mere physical attraction to someone isn't basis enough for them to share a genuine liking.

Still, learning that Tenten found him cute was a little encouraging.

"Well you better make your move soon, Neji is smooth and I don't think he's into Sakura," he frowned to himself. "Hinata told me he liked Tenten since they were in preschool."

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. It was bad enough Neji was stealing his fangirls, not that he minded, but Tenten was off limits. See, this was why he and the Hyuuga could never be friends, they always wanted the same things.

"I still can't believe you like Tenten!" the blonde chuckled.

"Shut up dobe! Quit broadcasting it to the entire world," he slapped a hand over Naruto's mouth. "I told you in confidence."

"Why do you like her anyway?" he mumbled behind the palm clasped over his mouth. "She's so―" he searched for the word. "―different."

Sasuke released him and straightened himself. "Do I have to have a reason?" he snapped.

Naruto scratched his head, "There usually is one when someone has a crush."

He looked away, anger masking the flush that tinted his pale cheeks. "Crushes are for kids."

"Come on, there has to be more to this Sasuke. Seriously, she's so different from the other girls you've dated," Naruto reiterated and seeing the deadly look on Sasuke's face he dropped the argument completely. "What are you waiting for, go over there and ask her out!" he urged him on enthusiastically.

"Shut up!" Sasuke hissed, he didn't want to cause a scene before he went up to her. Damn, Naruto and his big mouth. Now he was all nervous again, his composure was already fraying. Damn it!

Tenten had her hair in its signature twin buns. She wore a tan flannel shirt with a few opened buttons, showing off the white spaghetti strapped blouse underneath. She had on a pair of dark colored blue skinny jeans. To top it off, she donned a pair of white converse on her feet.

Sasuke began his trek towards her, like a lion stalking its prey. He stopped short of crashing into her back, his eyes glued to her rounded behind.

She sensed the eerie presence before he even reached his hand out to touch her. Still she flinched upon the contact.

"Hey, Sasuke! Don't sneak up on me like that, it's creepy!" She swiftly turned around, holding onto her chest as if to slow the rapid pace of her heart.

"Hn, do you want to go out with me?" The words fell from him with the crash force of a delivery truck dropping from an eleven story building. At least he said it, he congratulated himself, though for every disbelieving second Tenten stared at him, he felt he grew another head or something.

Tenten always thought Sasuke was adorable-looking and had nursed a small girlish crush on him. But it didn't seem real that the Uchiha had just asked her out. Her mind ran away from her, it had to be some cruel joke.

She never got asked out by any guy she liked―or any guy for that matter. In her world things like that just didn't happened. She thought of herself as an ordinary girl with plain looks. She didn't consider herself to be beautiful nor would she delude herself thinking of such things.

Sasuke was a visual creature and judging from the select few who he had deemed worthy of his time, he went for pretty girls.

"Very funny," she laughed dryly. "I'm not falling for it. Play your sick joke on someone else." She was not going to get her hopes up, from what she knew of him, he was arrogant and had very little respect for other people.

She not was about to be made fun of by Sasuke and become the laughing stock of the entire school.

"When have you ever seen me joke around, Tenten?" He couldn't believe her response. Uchiha Sasuke didn't not joke or initiate pranks, he was fucking above that.

Well she certainly wasn't very predictable, he gave her props for that. He was drawn to that aspect of her personality; she didn't back down and he liked that about her.

She was so unlike the other girls he had dated that would yield to his every command. He wanted someone to challenge him and he knew that she would give him a run for his money.

Tenten mind was busy trying to process what he just said. A knot started to twist in the pit of her stomach. This was real. Sasuke Uchiha wanted to date her. She felt all giddy inside and her heart fluttered at the thought.

Slowly, she met his gaze. He was waiting for her response. He was actually waiting!

"Okay, Sasuke. I'll go out with you," she agreed, careful to keep her face free of the excitement bubbling within her. She wouldn't appear too thrilled, he might be dissuaded if she reacted like a squealing fangirl. "One date," she held up a finger.

"We'll see," he smirked and stalked off.

Tenten's heart hammered in her chest. She was finally able to breathe, finally able to come back down to earth. Who ever thought that a boy that she had crushed on for so long would notice her?

No one.

Who'd ever thought he would have gone on to make her his girlfriend?

No one, certainly not Tenten. The first date was an awkward affair after all, she was not used to being given anyone's undivided attention. It had unsettled her.

Who would've imagined that their little puppy love would've survived beyond high school?

No one.

But it did.

* * *

 _~eight years later~_

Tenten's temples were throbbing like a sore wound after she slid the Business textbook back into its allotted slot on the bookshelf. She had devoted an entire day to studying for her finals and opted to do nothing else. But there was a laundry room full of clothes, a messy bathroom and an empty stove. Sasuke would be home any minute and he didn't take kindly to any of the above.

When they had first moved in together he would lend a hand with the chores but since of late he had grown into a lazy glum, choosing to complain rather than take action. She understood that he worked hard and often came home tired but she worked part-time, went to college part-time and was still a fucking full-time girlfriend to him.

Her stomach growled all the way downstairs. It seemed the day spent had taken its wage in the way her eyes were drooping and her muscles ache, despite not having lifted anything besides her books. Books that could very well replace the weights in gyms and people would scarcely be able to tell the differences, safe for their physical appearance. Pursuing a Business degree was no easy feat, contrary to what many people say. Funding the tuition alone was a challenge in itself.

After graduating from high school, Tenten had to take two years off to work in order to save money up to fund her tertiary education. She slaved away at two jobs to make ends meet and had even assisted Sasuke with clearing up some of his own fees. They were both too prideful to ask their parents for money but Sasuke rejected her offer to help quite a number of times before she went behind his back and did it anyways. She had to get the university to stage it as a case of having overcharged him by accident and claiming his down payment had covered the cost.

The look of relief on his face that day made her unremorseful about deceiving him. It still gave her heart flutters thinking about it. Relief was one heck of a beautiful expression on him. She knew he was leaving his parents as a dreaded last resort and didn't want to put him through the torment. He had unresolved issues with them, something about not following in his brother's footstep...Tenten wasn't sure, Sasuke rarely mentioned his family.

She didn't want her dad getting involved in her financial affairs either. Gai adopted her at the age of three when both her parents had died and she would've been placed in foster care otherwise. He was a very close family friend, according to him. She had no recollection of her parents, an old photograph was all she had of them and to be honest the two people in the picture could've been strangers. She felt very little connection to either of them.

The woman was too beautiful to have given birth to her, Tenten always found herself thinking. She saw semblance of herself in the lady's deep set brown eyes but that was as far as similarities went. Her blonde hair, pale skin and confident pose was more reminiscent of Ino Yamanaka. The smug man beside her had his arm latched possessively around her waist and wore a smirk. Against his skin, his dark eyes and hair stood out even more. He left the impression on Tenten that he was rather stern and arrogant, but the woman was grinning from ear to ear.

It seemed Tenten too had inherit the liking for tall, dark and brooding men. She pushed aside the thought, Gai and Lee were her family, if she inherited any special liking or disliking to anything specific it was because of them. She supposed Sasuke appealed to her because he was the exact opposite of them. She didn't think she could handle anymore "youth" in her life. Don't get her wrong, she loved Gai and Lee to the death but sometimes they overdid it. Did she mention that every piece of furniture in their house while growing had been some shade of green?

Tenten laughed to herself, thanking the heavens Sasuke thought it was a tacky colour. She had such an aversion of it that she was repulsed at the idea of even having plants.

"Hmm, what for dinner?" She thought aloud as she entered the kitchen. She had left some meat to thaw out while the laundry was being done and she went to tidy the bathroom

"I wonder what Sasuke would like?" He was picky as hell about what he ate but she came to love and appreciate that about him a long ago.

He has been more arrogant lately and his comments bugged her. Still, if she made something he liked, he might be more pleasant tonight, another voice taunted. His heart has not been in the sex lately, and she wondered if perhaps he had grown bored of her. Then again, the kind of intimacy she desired would never take the form of reality.

These days when he reached for her at nights, it wasn't as romantic or meaningful as it used to be. Earlier in their relationship, they fought over the simplest of things sex had just been their fun little way of settling their differences. Nowadays, it seemed Sasuke had something to prove.

Intimacy had been fun. Not an act for dominance.

Her mind drifted back to the good old days―back to one particularly silly fight they had had...

* * *

 _Sasuke and her had gotten into a nasty argument about her working too many hours. Dinner had been a disaster; she even broke a damn cup while washing the dishes. She saw the point he was trying to make, but he failed to acknowledge that she had dreams too. And when he started accusing her of trying to be the man in their relationship, things took a turn for the worst. One thing had led to the next and they were at each other's throat._

 _9 p.m found her furiously brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed. She had already taken a shower, brushed her hair and changed into her night-gown. When she emerged from the bathroom, she switched off the light and got to her side of the bed. She paid no heed to Sasuke who was still up and reading a book, merely pulled back the sheets and got under them._

 _Warmth enveloped her, staving off the chill that had resulted from her cold shower. She was still immensely ticked off and had needed the freezing jets of water to numb the irrational urge to lash out at him. She had never particularly been this easily irritated and she wondered if perhaps that time of the month was upon her._

 _It always turned her into a monstrous bitch and she would bite off Sasuke's head for the simplest of shit―like forgetting to put the top back on the toothpaste. Fuck that, it was a pet peeve of hers, she didn't need to be on her period to be at his throat about it._

 _And he had done it again tonight, she growled, turning on her side to switch off her lamp. Tonight when he had managed to both hurt and irritate her with that awful sexist comment._

 _Sasuke set his book aside and arched a brow at her, "No goodnight?" he asked._

 _She mumbled something incoherent and shook her shoulders in an insolent gesture._

 _A little thrown, he reached a hand over to pull a damp lock of chestnut hair from her face and stick it behind her ears._

 _She flinched and pulled away from his touch. "Goodnight," she grinded her teeth and inched away from him even though there was a considerable amount of distance between their bodies._

 _"Silver what's wrong?" Sasuke enquired cautiously, make use of the nickname he gave her. It was given because of her obsession with sharp silver objects. Knives to be specific or anything with a pointed edge that she could throw at him._

 _"Don't fucking Silver me!" she snapped. "You forgot to put the stopper back on the toothpaste."_

 _His laughter was like kerosene to a bonfire. "That's a dumb reason to be upset."_

 _She sighed loudly before snapping, "You know fucking well that's not the only reason I'm pissed, idiot."_

 _He settled himself on his pillows and drew her roughly against him. It had been a painful collision for him, as her back slammed into his hardened length and his thighs cushioned against her soft behind._

 _Tenten gasped._

 _Sasuke draped his arm over her side and drew circles on her stomach through her thin garments. She shuddered when his hand drifted south and then north―beneath her gown._

 _"Are you still mad about earlier?" He whispered in her ear, before nibbling on the lobe. "I'm sorry." He inhaled her sweet scent like she was aphrodisiac personified._

 _"Of course I'm still mad," she moaned helplessly, her legs parted invitingly off their own accord when his thumb slipped up her underwear. "I'm tired of being treated like a baby. I get enough of that from Gai and Lee already."_

 _"You work too much, you're going to burn yourself out."_

 _"I have you for that," she retorted bitingly. He stroked the flesh of her bud once and she whimpered. "And you've pissed me off. I'm not in the mood for you. Stop touching me!" Tenten rasped, unsure whether she was trying to coax him to on or simply fending him off._

 _"Hn?" he pressed light kisses down the slender length of her neck and continued to stroke her until he felt his fingers getting moist from it. Her breath had quickened, her heart pounded violently. "But you're always in the mood for me―" he planted his lips on the corner of her mouth. "―always wet for me."_

 _She clamped her legs together, trapping his hand―trapping the sensation. If it escalated, she would lose herself._

 _Focus on the anger, she chanted in her head. Fight this. Do not turn around. Don't give in. The audacity he had to tell her she was too independent, Tenten thought furiously. Damn him! She wanted to punch him―she wanted to fuck him._

 _"Is it so bad that I'm concerned you might kill yourself working so hard?" he asked, gasping one of her breasts with his freehand. They functioned like stress balls, though they were too large to hold in his palms. "When you come home to me you've barely got energy for this."_

 _Tenten moaned when his finger fiddle with the peaking nipple. Her resolve to be mad at him was rapidly diminishing._

 _"That's your concern?" she muttered under her breath. "That I'll not be up to sex? How considerate you are," she rolled her eyes._

 _He sunk his teeth tenderly into her cheek after the comment. For some strange reason the gesture excited her and she wanted him to do it again but chose not to say anything._

 _"Guilty," his smile was awkward and yet so sinfully sweet. "But I'm serious Silver, cut back on the shifts."_

 _Her heart turned over in her chest. He was so damn beautiful, "I love it when we fight over these silly things and you try to bribe me with your hotness," she purred in a sultry voice._

 _"That's because you always tempt me with yours." He made fast work of disposing her underwear. It slid down her tanned legs, almost without her being aware of it. He used his fingers to flick her panties across the room, similar to how one would use a sling._

 _A giggle erupted from Tenten and was later replaced by a loud cry of pleasure when Sasuke slid a finger into her slick heat. She arched herself into his hand and thrashed her head wildly against the pillow. She was so hot, it was a wonder how she hadn't burst into flames._

 _"Mmmm, Sasuke," she sobbed. The slow rhythm of his fingers thrust was building up momentum and it was killing her. It was setting her body alight. She could feel the build up to her peak coming._

 _"Am I forgiven?"_

 _"Not yet," she panted and he slid another finger into her wet sheath, her walls closed around them like a vice with her body's impossible tightness. She withered in agonized pleasure. "Not until you've earned it," Tenten challenged._

* * *

She flushed at the memory and felt heat beginning to pool in her midsection from it. Sadly, things weren't like that anymore, sex was rough with Sasuke's lack of emotional involvement. He loved her, that she was certain of. He told her everyday but it felt like a cheapened sort of love―a downgrade from what it had once been.

Sighing, Tenten searched the cupboards for the necessary pots and pans. Ingredients were fetched from the refrigerator and elsewhere.

"I'll make a beef stew with vegetables and steamed rice," her stomach gave a rumble of approval. She hadn't eaten since morning, choosing instead to bury her nose in her books as soon as Sasuke left.

He always made a fuss over her health. She found it cute and sometimes would purposely do shit just to have him express his concern for her. It didn't matter that these days he was distant, her well being had always been something he considered. He got upset if he felt she wasn't taking good care of herself.

Tenten turned the stove on and put some water on it to boil. Then, she proceeded to chop up vegetables and add various seasoning to the hot water. When she glanced up at the clock, she realized Sasuke was running late. Rather than calling to disturb him―he could be in a meeting―she went about to set the table after adding all the necessary things to her pot.

It was not until she stood in front of the fridge once more, debating what kind of drink to get that the front door opened. This went unheard to the brunette who was busy tapping her foot and humming a favourite song of hers.

Sasuke stole a peek into the kitchen and saw that Tenten was distracted. She did have the attention span of a rotating fan, so it came as no surprise that the stove was unsupervised. Slowly―quietly, he snuck inside the kitchen undetected.

When he was inches away from her he grasp her hips, pulled her against him and drawl monotonously, "Boo!"

She gave a violent start and turned around breathing fire, "You fucking scared me!"

He smirked in response and she pounded her fist into his chest repeatedly.

"I could just kill you," she gritted her teeth and rose her hands as if they were truly really to choke him. "You know I hate it when you sneak up on me like that!"

Sasuke caught her hands before they could do any damage and covered her lips with his. The kiss was brief and not meant to do anything other than shut her up, which it did. But as always, any show of affection from him left her feeling giddy-headed. Sasuke was her drug.

The growling of her stomach once more was an interruption she hadn't counted on. Sasuke pulled away abruptly.

"Don't tell me that you haven't eaten since I left," he glared at her before ushering her off to the dining room with the drinks. "Do you care so little for yourself, Silver?"

She swallowed as he steered her out of the kitchen, thinking he could also be talking about a host of other things. Perhaps her appearance in general. Her hair had grown out, the ends were jagged and uneven. She hadn't been to the hair dresser in months. What was the sense in wasting hard earned money doing something you can do for yourself? She haven't been to the nail salon either and had never really fancied the place. Her nails were always short cut and clean, she didn't need to waste money getting that done either.

Suddenly Tenten was feeling extremely self-conscious. She took off her apron and did the best she could to knot her hair in a low ponytail. Her face was void of any form of enhancement, as it normally was but she would kill for lip gloss and concealer right now. The look Sasuke gave her was enough to make her shudder at her own self. She didn't look that haggard did she? There were no bags under her eyes the last time she checked...

Tenten bit down on her lip. She couldn't recall when last she had taken a good look at herself in the mirror, studies kept her occupied.

When Sasuke joined her some five minutes afterwards, he set both their plates down and sat across from her, fuming. "Eat," he ordered, when he caught her staring into space.

"How was work?" she stammered, spooning up some fluffy, white rice. It was steamed to perfection. If she was confident about nothing else, she was confident about her expertise in the kitchen.

His dark eyes slammed into her brown ones. For a second she expected him to shout at her. "Good, a normal day at the office," he said offhandedly. "How is your studying going?" he returned, taking a spoonful of his stew.

"I think I'm ready for that stupid exam." Or at least she hoped that she was. These results could either change her fate for better or worse and she had slaved too long to get her chance and fuck it up.

"You will do fine, why are you stressing over it?" he asked without looking at her.

"I don't expect you to understand," she said softly, still in the aftermath of that chilling look he had given her earlier. "You've already gotten your degree and a good paying job!"

"What has that got to do with anything?" he asked but took a long sip from his drink to signal that he really didn't want an answer.

"I've had to make a number of sacrifices, if I don't do well―"

"You're overreacting, Tenten. So far you have yet to fail," he reasoned, before taking a sip of his drink.

His insensitivity towards her cause was a little more than disheartening. Normally he would try to be as encouraging as he could, but whenever she complained about anything lately he made it seemed like a crime to have humanly issues and concerns.

She had never once made his problems out to be less than they were. A boss whose antics could easily be seen as sexual harassment was no joking matter. Tenten has met Uzumaki Karin twice. Once when Sasuke had taken her to a function at his workplace. Correction, once when she had to invite herself to be his date to the function. He hadn't breathed a word about it until the appointed day, she suspected he had hoped it would have been too short a notice for her to accompany him. And that another time when Karin, had invited herself to dinner. It had been one heck of an evening, Tenten thought she wasn't half bad, safe for her obvious fascination with Sasuke's sex life.

"How's Karin?" Tenten thought she'd bring it up to gauge his reaction.

Sasuke stopped chewing, "She's fine, as far as I know."

She frowned, "Oh, it's just that I haven't seen her around much since dinner the other day..." she tried.

Sasuke's jaws clenched, "She's my boss Tenten," he drawled and she knew he was getting annoyed. He'd never have called her by her real name otherwise. "I don't concern myself with her affairs, you are well aware that she invited herself that time."

Tenten shrugged like she could care less, "I know."

"I don't care for this line of questioning," he tossed her fork down on his empty plate and stood. Usually he waited for her to finish eating but he stalked off into the kitchen without a backward glimpse.

She sat there dumbfounded until she heard the heavy clink of a plate being thrown into the sink. It looked like sex was off the table tonight, unless she wanted have to stand for three hours to take her exam tomorrow. Oh well, Tenten thought, he broke her vibe anyway.

But later she would find herself helplessly buckling against him as he withdrew and replaced his fingers inside her. And she would beg him to fuck her. Hard. Because that was what he did best―dominate.

"Please..." she arched herself into him, begging him―pleading to him. "Sasuke..."

He gave a primal growl and traced his thumb over her bud. Seeing her walk out of the bathroom with her hair down, wearing that damn near see-through nightgown had done little for his already hardened groin. His anger with her had fed his arousal. But damn it, every emotion she triggered got him aroused.

It was a never-ending cycle of sexual torment, she didn't even need to try. Tenten seduced him with her mere presence. It was those innocent brown eyes of hers, that voluptuous bust, that pouty pink mouth, those hips and that fucking small waist. They fitted his palms so perfectly, it felt like she had been custom built for him. And he wasn't just talking about her waist...

"Please stop fucking around and just fu―"

He kissed away her complaint. "You're not ready," he scolded but it made his ego soar to hear her behave that way, like she'd die if he didn't take her. It fuelled his own desire.

"I've been ready before you stepped through that damn door!" she lied, what she had been ready for―waiting for was the passionate love making of the past. But this was the closest they would come to achieving it―had come to it since forever.

"Shhh...there's no need to rush," he groaned, fighting the need to let go right then and there and he wasn't even nestled in her snug warmth as yet.

There was power in the tongue, yes. He didn't know exactly what was in Tenten's however, she could bring him to a climax with nothing but words and hot breath against his skin. He wondered what it would be like to fuck that mouth―what it would be like for her tongue to unleash its full power on his hard length.

Oh God.

He needed to be inside her. Need it like a necessity, one which was more vital than oxygen itself. He couldn't put it off anymore. He was painfully hard and twitching in anticipation―twitching with the need to possess.

He positioned himself on his knees and parted her legs. He had torn every last stitch of her fabric from her body the moment she exited the bathroom. For a good minute or two he simply stared down at her nakedness. She looked good enough to eat; her flesh like light chocolate.

The sheet beneath her was a little damp now from her readiness―eagerness. He made to lower his head between her thighs and Tenten immediately sat up, flushing self-consciously.

"Sasuke?"

There was a moment of awkward and uncomfortable silence before she rectified the situation by pulling his boxers down and stared hungrily at the thick, hard length of his arousal. She was too caught up imagining it inside her to see the brief flicker of onyx eyes from her mouth to his member.

"Please..." she pled, licking her lips and touching the tip of it with her finger. He groaned and pushed her back unto the pillows, pulling her knees up. "I need you now."

His thoughts exactly.

He positioned himself at her entrance and spread her legs. Then he took himself in his hand and used the tip of him to tease the sensitive folds of her being. She arched her back, fighting for the ultimate connection but he continued to taunt her flesh. Continued to deny her.

"Sasuke please!"

His first thrust slammed the bedhead into the walls with such force one of the photographs fell off its hook and crashed on the floor. It knocked the wind out of her lungs and dropped her jaws. He had breached her womb in that one powerful strike. The sensation bordered on the fine line between pleasure and pain and she loved it.

If someone had asked her in that moment what her name was she would've said Don't Stop.

* * *

Tenten woke up about an hour later feeling dazed, her body aching but languorous. She raises herself on one elbow, her eyes widening to find Sasuke fast asleep beside her. Bemused, she stared down at him. In sleep he looked far younger than his twenty-five years and curiously vulnerable.

It took an effort to remember that he was no such thing because she could only think how much she loved him.

She sighed softly, her eyes full of a kind of tender tragedy as she closed the few small inches between them and gently kissed him on the mouth. He did not respond, was to deeply asleep to have even noticed.

Sighing again, she relaxed back on to the pillows and held her breath, barely daring to breathe now for fear of disturbing him, but he slept on as if deeply content, one arm flung around her. Still scarcely able to believe he was really hers, Tenten continued to gaze at him while she inched herself cosily into his warm body.

She continued to lie there for a few more seconds, listening intently to the sound of his breathing until Sasuke's cell phone buzzed.

"Who the fuck is Gold?" she thought aloud, staring unblinkingly at the caller ID.

The little voice in her head was telling her that it was too obvious from the fact that her own nickname was Silver.

Her heart took a nosedive into her stomach.

* * *

 **Author's Note :**

This story is dedicated to Princesshyuuga01, who needs some SasuTen in her life to inspire her to keep posting fanfiction :) This was actually inspired by a piece of fanart for another anime. Sasuke and Tenten came to mind instantly though. I hope you enjoy this Princesshyuuga01, as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know it was a hard chapter to edit, but we made it happen. Here's to you girl! Cheers! XD


	2. The Voicemail

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I make any profit from this story.**

The Voicemail

Suspicion, jealousy and horror, churned sickeningly inside her. It lapped corrosively at the walls of her stomach, burning a passageway to her heart. She slapped a trembling hand over her mouth to keep a sob, a cough, maybe even a little bile from escaping her throat.

A chill of foreboding came over her when the phone gave a final buzz and what appeared to be a voicemail was left. She grudgingly eyed the envelop icon on the bright screen and briefly thought that the weak burst of light from the glowing device stood as much chance against the pitch-black space as her hope did against the reality being relayed to her.

Who was Gold?

Her fingers twitched in anticipation but her mind and heart were debating furiously with each other over what course of action she should take. It didn't take long to come to an agreement however, curiosity killed the cat, didn't it?

A part of her protested as she deftly removed Sasuke's draping arm from her small frame. The cold engulfed her as she inched herself against from his warmth. It felt like the distance she put between their bodies was in reality, being put between their hearts, their souls.

Tenten's chest closed over in pain.

Her mind was painfully, permanently occupied with images of Sasuke and that Gold woman, they flashed through her mind one after another. She put her hands over her eyes as they might shut out the pictures, but they went on, under her trembling fingers.

It was sheer agony—but there could still be a simple explanation for this, Tenten reminded herself. Slowly, she got up from the bed and looked at him, her eyes locked the only face she had ever loved.

He was so beautiful, too beautiful to do something so ugly to her.

Sasuke stirred in his sleep and Tenten held her breath when he reached across and felt for her on her side of the bed. He made a sound quite similar to a wounded wolf and mumbled something into his pillow. Only when his breathing evened out and he drifted back into deep slumber did Tenten relieve her lungs, snatch up the phone and tiptoed her way out of the room.

She had to get to the bottom of this.

She sought refuge in the living room, slowly lowering herself unto the couch. She was a little sore from earlier, in fact her limbs were heavy and limp with exhaustion. Her mind was however, too preoccupied with the gadget she placed on the coffee table for her to pay much attention to her aching body.

Her heart was thrashing so violently against her rib cage that it stalked many breaths. Her hands were so sweaty, she had to constantly be wiping them in her bathrobe.

"Deep breaths Tenten, deep breaths," she chanted, but not even regulated breathing could tame the turmoil that was unleashed inside her. She was Silver, so who the fuck was Gold?

Too many emotions and thoughts were zinging through her. It was difficult to sort through the chaos, difficult to hear the voice of the Tenten that loved and trusted Sasuke more than anyone else. Above the uproar inside her head she could distinctly hear the self-beratings about how stupid she had been. Stupid for not having seen the signs.

Suddenly, it didn't matter to her that it was considered an invasion of privacy if she looked into Sasuke's phone. She just needed to know. Needed to know that all those times he had breathed words of love to her that he wasn't just spurting a string of lies. Needed to know, if all those times he had been with her, if he'd imagined another woman writhing beneath him.

Her stomach turned unpleasantly at the thought and she felt a drop of something, hot and molten on her cheeks.

Tears.

Tenten hadn't shed those in years―never imagined they would stain her cheeks again because of the man who had put a stop to them in the first place.

She hesitated before she picked up the phone and entered Sasuke's password.

It was Tenten.

She felt her gut twisted in knots. He obviously trusted her to respect his privacy enough to have shared his password with her.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke." She closed her eyes against another trickle of tear and brought the phone to her ears.

If this really was just one big misunderstanding then she would feel no less distraught because it would mean that she allowed her insecurities to affect how she perceived Sasuke's character. And that's wasn't fair.

The sultry voice of an obviously aroused woman filtered through the speakers and Tenten gripped the phone so tightly she feared it would break under the pressure.

"Hey, Sexy―" the voice purred, it was said so sinfully sensual that a man might've gotten a hard-on from simply having the greeting directed at him.

Tenten blanched and tried the force the image of someone else's lips―the lips that uttered those words―all over Sasuke―in places she didn't dare put her own.

"You didn't say to give you a call, but I thought I should anyways." There was a conscious pause that was charged with so much sexual tension, the hair on the back of Tenten's neck stood up. "I had a blast last weekend, you're an animal." The woman had the audacity to make a feline growl. "I was hoping your big fellow would be interested in reacquainting itself with my little lady."

"Oh my God," came Tenten's startled cry.

"The next time we pay for a hotel room Sasuke―because, there will be a next time―" she said, confidently. Tenten's heart withered as there was no mistaking whom the message was for. She said his name. "―please let us at least make use of the bed. Furnitures aren't as sturdy everywhere. We may end up breaking something and the only lawsuit I'm interested in having being filed against me, involves you suing me for my―"

She moaned and Tenten flushed knowing exactly what the woman was doing when she left the voicemail.

"Give me a call as soon as you hear this. I can't wait to see you."

The cell phone slid out of her hand unto the carpet. It shook her to the very core. Nausea and shock swept her up and threw her into a whirlpool of numbness―of nothingness. For the first time in her life, she was slow to react, unable to think. She just stood there, stock-still, numbness charging through her body. It was as if her heart had been ripped out, leaving a hole of utter and complete blackness in her chest.

That blackness slowly―painfully began to gobble up the rest of her and she wanted nothing more than to speed up the process before pain took hold of her. She would be ruined then.

Liquor, she thought wildly with a glance at the clock.

There was absolutely no way she could survive the rest of the night sober without slitting the throat of that womanizing piece of shit.

After all the sacrifices she made―all the hatred she endured because of him. Dating Uchiha Sasuke hadn't granted her any favors as it did other girls in the past. She didn't crawl up the high school social ranks because the most popular guy dated her.

No.

For the most part, she was on the receiving end of butt ugly jokes and was constantly bashed for not being pretty enough for Sasuke. In so many ways, her life became worse-off having dated him. But, she stuck it out because she had truly believed love conquered all.

Except now she knew there was no such love and the only thing that had been conquered was herself, Tenten thought dispassionately.

* * *

Tenten was half-drunk and staggering by the time she parked her car in the driveway of a two story victorian home, in an exclusive district of Konoha. She came slowly conscious of the ruckus that she was creating as her fist unendingly pounded on the heavy, oakwood door.

There was no immediate response and her heart sank. The thought of having to scream ignominiously for Neji or Sakura to answer the damn door was too mortifying to contemplate even in her plastered state. Their neighbors made a habit out of calling the cops for the slightest hint of a disturbance within the community.

Shivering with cold, pressed rigidly back against the stone wall, Tenten closed her eyes and heart and tried to pull herself together. It was late, she shouldn't trouble them. Her problems were her own and besides, she could always sleep in her car should it come to that.

Well, that's only if she hasn't driven it and herself over a bridge by then.

Pain erupted inside her, corrosive, debilitating pain she'd thought she could never feel while under the influence. She groped for mastery and rose her bottle of vodka to her head, fighting the sting in her eyes―kicking the bags at her feet when she realized there was no way defeat the tears.

It hurt, like a sharp pinch somewhere deep in her chest. A place, she knew would never know light or happiness again.

At the forceful knocking Sakura rose from her desk in the home office that she shared with Neji and headed towards the living room. She had been busy grading the assignments of her third grade class at Konoha Preparatory. The students had handed them in before they went off on their four day weekend. Neji would normally lend a hand but seeing as though he had only just got off work, she left him to lounge on the couch and catch up on national geographic.

He was so damn boring, she mused.

It appeared that he too, had heard the knocking at the door because when he saw that Sakura was headed in its direction, he jumped up and offered to do it himself. It was after all, very late.

"No. I'll answer the door," he suggested curtly. He was a little suspicious of whoever it was. Who stopped by at such an ungodly hour? Burglars perhaps, one voice told him. Another reasoned that burglars didn't ring door bells or knocked. Still, he was curious―cautious.

When he got to the door a startled expletive fell from his lips at Tenten's disheveled appearance.

"Well don't you look pretty bathed in the moonlight? she slurred, stumbling forward.

He caught her just before she pitched over and frowned. Panic wasn't something he was accustomed to feeling but he certainly felt it now and knew it for what it was. He smelt the heavy stench of liquor on her clothes and didn't miss the bottle of vodka in her hand. It was almost drained of all its content, and judging from how wankered she was, it was probably her fourth or so bottle.

"Who is it babe?" Sakura asked curiously, making her way towards the door as well.

"I need a place to stay," Tenten sighed into his shoulders.

Reigning in his emotions, Neji steadied her before him and simply offered, "Let me help you with the bags."

"Oh my God," Sakura exclaimed, rushing to Tenten's side. "What's wrong sweetie?" she asked, cupping her face with both hands and used her thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She was so alarmed by Tenten's muddled state all she could do was lock her in a fierce embrace and tell her that whatever it was, she would be fine.

"Get her inside," Neji said gruffly and disappeared into the house with Tenten's luggage.

Sakura gently guided her inside, holding her hand as if it were a piece of glass that would shatter any minute now. "What's wrong?" she asked again, closing the door behind them. It was cold out and she was happy to be engulfed in the house's warmth again. She was after all, scantily dress in her spaghetti strapped nightgown.

Tenten's back stiffened. She wanted to vanish into thin air, if it was humanly possible. She maintained a stony kind of silence until the weight on her chest was too much and she released the anguish inside her in a profusion of tears.

"Sasuke cheated on me," she choked, whipping her nose with the back of her wrist.

Thick and heavy silence swept up between the trio filled partially by Tenten's sniffs and Sakura's gasp of disbelief. Neji's face was the angriest shade of red.

"What?" they chorused.

"He cheated on me," she repeated clearer, though it took a considerable amount of effort to do so. "Where did I go wrong?" she asked, agony etching across her face.

Sakura knew it was a rhetorical question but the way Tenten's eyes held her own had her feeling the other woman was really looking for an answer.

She was so astonished by the news that she was unable to form coherent sentences. Her face scrunched up in confusion. "Oh my God. Cheated? On you? Sasuke? Are you certain?"

Tenten nodded and bit her lip, stifling another sob.

Sakura ushered her towards the sofa. It was all such a shock to her that she feared her legs would give out underneath her. She couldn't even begin fathom what Tenten must be feeling. Her whole world must be going up in chaos and flames.

Sasuke and Tenten's relationship was the longest and sturdiest among all their friends, inclusive of her own and Neji's. She simply refused to believe that Sasuke would let what he proclaimed as the eight best years of his life go down the drain like that. He worshipped the very ground Tenten walked on, why would he cheat on his little Silver?

Sakura remembered hearing him call Tenten by the name and almost rolled over in a fit of laughter. It was so cute and so unlike himself. But she came to learn that he was a different person around Tenten, he literally lit up when she was near. And he was awfully, terribly possessive of her. Back in high school he didn't hesitate to drop any of his so called friends who questioned what he saw in her.

He loved her.

Sakura was certain of that. Why else would he have stuck with her for so long? Sasuke is known to not stay in one place for too long. She knew it didn't amount to much but he had Tenten as his display picture on every single one of his social media accounts. That was not the kind of behaviour of a cheating man.

When they settled themselves unto the couch, she turned to Tenten and graspd her free hand, sympathy reflecting in her emerald orbs. She wished she could take the pain away. "Are you certain sweetie? I mean...this is Sasuke we're talking about."

Tenten's brow snapped up, "What has that got to do with anything?" she asked miserably then took a long swig from her bottle. The harsh liquid burned her throat to the point of coughing. "I'm positive, Sakura. He even nicknamed her as Gold in his phone."

Her jaws dropped, "But aren't you Silver?" she asked knowing that it probably wasn't helping the situation.

"It says a lot doesn't it?" Tenten grouched. "I'm obviously his number two."

"I don't believe this."

Neither did Tenten. She honestly thought Sasuke was above this. "He's no fucking saint."

"How do you know he's cheating?" she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears and looked hopefully at Neji. When Tenten tilted the bottle to her mouth, she took advantage of her momentary distraction and mouthed to him, "Do you know anything about this?"

He shook his head with a grimace. He wasn't even friends with the Uchiha scum to begin with. How would he have known? And had Neji known that Sasuke was having an affair, the bastard wouldn't have lived to see all the misery his betrayal was causing Tenten.

"She left him a voicemail," Tenten informed them.

"But how can you draw such a conclusion from a voicemail?" Sakura asked, sounding dubious. "How are you even sure it wasn't a wrong number."

Tenten snatched a ragged breath, "She called him by his fucking name, Sakura!" she snapped, her hand trembled around the neck of the bottle. "Her number was even stored in his phone. What more proof does there need to be?"

"Calm down," Neji told her. "What did the voicemail say?"

She was quiet for a while, silent tears streaking down her face. It was like reliving a death penalty sentence in court. "Gold said she had a blast last weekend and wanted to hook up again," she spat the woman's apparent nickname from her lips like it stung her tongue. Soon, she was sobbing again. "She hinted that they may have had adventurous sex on all the furnitures." Then she said in a small voice that could've belonged to an eight year old, "We don't do those kinds of things."

Neji and Sakura swallowed and exchanged odd looks.

"I thought he was out of town working his ass off. It turns out the only thing he had been working off was that woman's clothes," she laughed but there was no humor in it, just bitterness and hurt. "God, I'm so stupid!"

Neji stood there, his fists balled tightly. He was absolutely livid. How dare that good for nothing piece of shit do something this despicable to the only person who didn't agree that the world would've been a better place had Sasuke's mother aborted him?

Only Tenten had a big enough heart to house such a huge nuisance―menace. She loved him unconditionally too, despite his short-comings. Neji suspects that loving Sasuke was her biggest flaw. It made her vulnerable and susceptible to emotional exploitation. She was selfless―sickeningly weak when it came to him and he obviously held no qualms about taking advantage of that. She put her whole life on hold just so he could get a jump start to his own. And what did he do when things started to fall nicely in place for him?

The damn bastard cheated on her.

He was without honour.

"Where are my car keys?" Neji asked darkly and reached for his cell phone by the coffee table.

It was about time he acquainted Sasuke's face with his left hook. He had been meaning to do it ever since high school but out of respect for Tenten he kept to himself. Tonight however, warranted that he did otherwise.

"And just where exactly are you planning to go this late at night?" Sakura arched a threatening brow and fixed him a look. She knew from his stiff posture that he was failing miserably at containing his wrath.

He glared at her, his eyes like white flames hotter than hell itself. "I'm just going to pay Uchiha a visit," his lips quirked up innocently.

Sakura flushed and shook her head. That damn sincere and adorable facade wasn't going to work on her. She wasn't going to let him out of her sight. Whatever Neji was thinking of doing would not help the situation.

"You're not going anywhere, babe," she told his with a calm clip of finality. "This is not what Tenten needs right now."

She was angry too, but violence was not the answer. Men and their stupid egos, she brooded.

"He's not worth it, Pretty―" Tenten dealt him an appreciative grin but her eyes were still glistening with tears.

Neji scoffed. Pretty was certainly an ugly pet name.

"―The damage is already done."

God, if felt like someone was repeatedly thrusting a knife inside her heart, twisting it slowly. She wanted to slap and punch Sasule too. She wanted answers, though they would never undo the affliction he has caused to her person.

Neji shrugged. Tenten was a drunken mess of unbroken beer bottles and a broken heart. He couldn't leave Sakura alone with her the state that she was in. There was no doubt in his mind that later, when the pain receded and the killing anger was unleashed, Tenten's heart wasn't going to be the only broken thing inside his house.

He admitted to himself that now wasn't the best time to confront the bastard, Tenten needed them. She needed him.

"Fine," he sulked. Aware that he wasn't very good at offering comfort, Neji decided to retire to the kitchen and give the women privacy. Sakura was after all, better at handling these type of situations. "Would you like some tea, Tenten?" he offered politely.

Should Tenten need physical restraining he would only be a door away.

She laughed drily and rose her bottle to him. "I've got my tea right here."

He grimaced.

Sakura giggled, her eyes sympathetic.

"But I would like a screwdriver..." Tenten suggested sweetly.

Neji's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I was thinking something more along the line of a long range attack. Like a pistol," he said. "A screwdriver is not much of a weapon, Tenten."

Sakura gasped and smacked Neji playfully on his behind. "Don't encourage her! Secure the toolbox, I think she was actually serious."

The Hyuuga frowned, rubbing his butt.

Loud laughter erupted from Tenten again. This time it was wholehearted and filled with mirth. "You two are so innocent. A screwdriver is a drink. Two shots of vodka and orange juice."

Sakura clapped, "That sounds interesting. Make me one as well, babe!"

"Green Tea it is," Neji told them firmly and stalked off in the direction of the kitchen.

Tenten pouted, "He's no fun."

"In other ways, he is." Sakura said and went beetroot red when Tenten flashed her a knowing look."I didn't mean that!"

She snorted and proceeded to drain her vodka bottle. Her eyes narrowed when Sakura purposely scooted closer to her and started rubbing her back.

"How long have you and Sasuke been having problems?" She asked.

Tenten lifted her head towards the ceiling, then slowly lowered it to meet Sakura's gaze. She didn't know how long they've been having problems because she wasn't aware they were having problems until today.

"Sasuke has always been a bit distant and reserved. That's just how he is and I've always respected that," she sighed. "But he has been more so for the past year. I dismissed it as being work related so I gave him space."

Sakura played idly with her fingers, unsure how to the address the real issue she suspected was behind Sasuke's infidelity. "Were you guys having problems with..." she swallowed and forged on. "…Intimacy?"

Tenten choked on her drink, "What has that got to do with anything?" She looked away, her face flush from the alcohol but even hotter under Sakura's scrutiny. "He has grown a little rough if that's what you mean."

Sakura shook her head, all she could manage was, "Not exactly."

Tenten sat forward, twisting her lips thoughtfully. Her head was too light to be thinking about such heavy details. "He has never complained before..." she drew a hand wearily down her face. "I need a cigarette."

Sakura's eyes widened, "What for? You don't smoke."

"I do now," Tenten declared.

Sakura sat quietly for a moment, contemplating. "I have a pack in my purse. If you tell Neji, I'll kill you," she whispered.

"I knew why I liked you," Tenten giggled, flashing a cajoling grin. "Well don't just sit there, they ain't gonna come to me."

"Okay. Okay." She got up and fetched her purse. "Hurry, let's go out back."

"If you ever breathe a word about this conversation to Naruto, I'll conveniently let it slip that you smoke," the brunette threatened. "Naruto has always been pro my relationship with Sasuke so he'll interfere," she sighed. "I don't need that right now."

"I know. I promise I won't say anything," she hoped. "My lips are sealed." She extended her hand towards Tenten, pulling her up from the couch.

She wobbled to her feet, "Sakura..." her voice was barely above a whisper. "What's it like?"

"What, smoking? Oh god, it de-stresses me after a long days work. It has also saved me from pulverizing a certain Hyuuga's arrogant ass on a numerous occasions." She gritted her teeth.

Tenten shook her head and laughed, "That's interesting, you sound like an addict already."

Sakura pouted defensively. "Hey!"

"I meant how it felt to be in a relationship where you don't feel like you've always got to be on your toes," she tilted her head back and stared blankly above her, lost in her own fucked up world. Again.

"Oh, that," she laughed to mask her embarrassment. "Neji and I are from very different worlds, so its hard to see eye-to-eye some times. But we work at it," she beamed proudly. "There was a time when I felt I was walking on eggshells with him too." Her expression was almost painful.

"It has been eight years Sakura, I shouldn't still be feeling like this?" she sniffed.

"I know, sweetie. Sometimes, the spice of the relationship dies out and people tend to forget why they fell in love in the first place." Her mother told her the same thing when her parents split up for a while.

"I never forgot why I loved him," she sobbed, clenching her jaws and fist alike. Her control was slipping and if she gave rein to anger she would be driving back to the apartment to set it aflame with Sasuke in it.

"I'm not saying you did. I'm saying he probably forgot. The how's and why's, those are questions only he can answer."

When they got to the back porch she pulled out the pack of cigarettes and hand one to Tenten.

"How could he do this to me? I would've sold my soul for him," She cried. "And what do I get in return?"

"I think you should hear Sasuke out before we jump to a solid conclusion. There are number of crazy girls who'd do anything to remove him from your clutches."

"Don't sound so neutral!" she snapped, roughly snatching the cigarette from between Sakura's fingers. "You're suppose to be on my side."

Sakura's green glare was on the offense and lethal. "Don't you dare go there with me. I'm not siding with Sasuke. What he did to you was inexcusable. I'm just to trying to help you piece this together." She growled and lit her cigarette. The menthol smoke filled her lungs. Slowly she exhaled. "I can't believe you would think that!"

Tenten rolled her shoulders dismissively, "I have to take your history into consideration," she toyed with her unlit cigarette. "I don't know...I feel like I can't trust anyone," she confided after a long pause. "I trusted Sasuke above everyone else and look what he did!" her voice rose, despite herself. "I never really was good enough for him, after all," the tears stung the back of her eyes and in an effort to hold them back, she snapped her cigarette in half.

Sakura blinked.

"I always felt like he was kind of embarrassed by me actually," one corner of her lips curled up, but not pleasantly. "Ever since he started working at that hot-shot company, I noticed he stopped taking me out."

"Don't you fucking think like that. You are more than enough," Mint eyes held chocolate. "I know you trusted Sasuke and he betrayed you. But you can't put us in that same category as him." A trickle of tear streamed down her left cheek, despite herself. She needed to be strong for Tenten, yet here she was getting emotional. It was just hard not to hurt for her. Sasuke ripped her heart out and left her to bleed. "I'm always here for you sweetie. Please don't feel alone. I'll support you no matter what decision you make."

"All good things must come to an end," she sighed with a new kind of resolve. "But I think I'm still a little delusional to be thinking of what Sasuke and I had as a _'good'_ thing."

* * *

Sasuke slammed his fist down on the noisy alarm clock and groaned. Instinctively he reached across for Tenten to pull her against him and nuzzle her neck. But her side of the bed was empty and cold, an indication that she hadn't lain in it for a good couple of hours.

His eyes snapped open in annoyance. She must've stayed up studying, he thought with a grimace. If that was the case he'd probably find her passed out in the living room with a textbook sheltering her face.

With a decisive sigh he threw the blanket back from his body and headed out the door. It was becoming a habit of hers to fall asleep everywhere else in the apartment, except for their bed. The realization was a little off-putting. But he knew she liked it when he picked her up and carried her around in his arms. He suspected that to some extent she did it to be transported bridal-style to their room.

He shook his head and chuckled lightly. She could be so childish sometimes. All she needed to do was ask, he was at her beck and call.

He wandered down the hallway. His heavy steps against the tiles was the only sound he heard in the silent apartment. There was no rattling of pans or metallic clinks coming from the kitchen so he knew for certain Tenten wasn't up making them breakfast.

When he got to the living room a chill crept up his spine. It was empty too. There were no text books littering the floor, no pencil shavings on the coffee table or an overflow of crumpled paper in the waste-bin. All the cushions were neatly organized in the sofas and no empty cans of soda peeked out from behind them. There was no sign that Tenten had been up and studying all night or even entered the living room. And he had a bad feeling about it.

As he suspected the kitchen was empty when he entered. No even the smell of coffee lingered in the air. The sink was empty, everything was exactly as they left it the night before. He glanced at the refrigerator to see if amongst the things she had plastered to the door, if there was note to explain her disappearance. There was none.

It left him feeling a little uneasy. This was very unlike Tenten.

He made his way back to the bedroom with his heart pounding like a violent fist trying to shatter his rib cage.

"Silver?" he called, knocking on the bathroom door.

There was no answer. No sound of spraying water either.

"If this is your idea of a joke its not working," he said to the empty house and felt stupid afterwards when the only response he got was the sound of a car horn in the distance.

He retrieved his cell phone from the nightstand and decided to check to see if maybe she had sent him a text message or tried to call him while he was asleep. It unnerved him that she left so early without having woken and informed him. Maybe he really was as obsessed and possessive as Naruto often made him out to be, but Sasuke liked to know where Tenten was at all times.

It brought him peace of mind.

After he entered his password, he went straight to his call log, seeing as though there was no SMS. There was no missed calls from Tenten either, he noted grimly. There was however one from―

He stared at his screen, confusion etched across his porcelain face. "Gold?"

For the life of him, he couldn't recall having placed any contact under that alias. Not even Tenten was stored as Silver in his phone. His phonebook was strictly formal. The only thing that gave away Tenten as his girlfriend was that he listed his relationship with her as such. In the event that his phone got misplaced and someone wanted to return it to him, they would know who to contact.

He knew though, that if his phone was to ever get lost, he would be fucked. No one finds such an expensive one and returns it.

The device gave a sudden shudder in his hand and the screen went black. Sasuke gritted his teeth and threw it down on the bed. He was definitely not in the mood to go in search of his charger. He only wanted Tenten back home and sprawled out beneath him like he had planned they would be spending his day-off. They rarely have been spending anytime in each other's company lately and it was starting to take a toll on how they interact with each other.

It was beginning to show in the way he made love to her too, he admitted with self-disgust. Like an addict who had gone far too long without a fix. Guilt and remorse lacerated his insides because the reference was accurate. Her body was probably still a little too tender to take him today, he reasoned with his hormones frustratedly. Her flesh was probably swollen and flushed, attesting to his hard use of her last night.

It wasn't a very healthy way of expressing himself, he acknowledged shamefully.

On a brighter note however, he thought. Tonight would be the night that he made the last eight years of their lives count for something. He knew he could never atone for his behaviour over the past year, but in doing right by her he hoped to relieve his guilt. It felt like he was losing her―like Tenten was losing him. There were just some needs that only she could fulfil, but good heavens he didn't want to think about the ones she couldn't―hadn't. It would only serve to make him question his decision.

He raked his fingers through his hair and flung himself down on the bed. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small velvet box and spun it idly between his fingers. He had a very bad feeling though, that the outcome of tonight would be disastrous.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. My life is hectic at this point in time. I'll try to keep on top of things but I make no promises. Princesshyuuga01 has been the driving force behind this update. I swear without her help I would be lost. Shout out to Princesshyuuga01, I hope you enjoy this! Thank you all for your support!


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